Who is Responsible...Gen 16:1-5

Genesis 16:1-5

I have been reading in Genesis and as I read I often notice things I wasn’t aware of before, or that I had forgotten.

I find it interesting that in this passage of Genesis Sarai says what appears to be an odd thing.

This is the story of about how God had promised Abram offspring, but Sarai had been barren her whole life and now she was old, as was Abram. So, she told Abram to take her maidservant and sleep with her and provide a family through her.

Abram did exactly what his wife asked of him, and Hagar became pregnant.

Then in verse 5 Sarai, sensing Hagar’s attitude, becomes upset with the whole arrangement (an arrangement she made) and says to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering…” (v. 5, NIV).

Now I realize there are cultural practices involved here that are so far from our experience that it makes this passage a little hard to understand. But what I was pretty sure I understood was that this was Sarai’s idea. How is it that she now blames Abram???

That is one thing about historical narratives like this…it isn’t always clear if a behavior was right or wrong. We don’t always know what “should” have happened. We don’t always know if what we are reading would have been “normal”. What we do know from these kind of passages is that God works despite our efforts (intentionally or unintentionally) to get in the way.

So, was Sarai being unfair in blaming Abram??? I don’t know. Was what Abram agreed to a moral failure on his part? Possibly. But one thing is clear…God’s plan proceeds.

Jason Cooper